Page 366 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

ing is often accompanied by speckles of transparent

green which greatly enhance the charm. The third

type, of which the presence of green is the distin-

guishing feature, is said to be due in great part to

accidents of temperature in the kiln some sudden

oxidation of the reducing flame. But it is difficult

to credit this, for in certain specimens the green

occupies a place at least as important as the red. It

is a green comparable only to the soft, restful colour

seen in the rind of an apple or a peach, and it passes

into red resembling just such a warm flush as Nature

associates with this green. Possibly the variegation

from red to green was originally due to chance, but

that it afterwards became a special technical triumph

there can be very little doubt. At all events, the

result of the combination in its happiest form is that

there is reproduced in a porcelain glaze the skin of a

ripe peach, with all its exquisite shading of tones.

The Pin-kwo-ts'ing is, in fact, the prince of Chinese

coloured glazes. Fine specimens are exceedingly

rare. They generally take the form of utensils con-

nected with caligraphy, the most revered of all

accomplishments in the Middle Kingdom as little

flower vases for placing on the desk low bottles for
;

washing the pen, ovoid in section with wide circular

bases and narrow necks round flattened bowls for
;

holding water to mix with Indian ink, and small

boxes for vermilion. As was the case in the rouge

vtf of the Ming dynasty, engraved decoration is often

found under the Pin-kivo-ts* ing glaze, but it seldom

covers the whole surface, being generally confined to

medallions of coiled dragons, phoenixes with curved

wings, or floral scrolls. The pate is pure white and

perfectly fine the inner and under surfaces are
;

296